It is really tricky to make sequels: Vinay Pathak

What started as a film made on a shoestring budget four years ago, went on to do wonders at the boxoffice. Bheja Fry became something of a cult in Bollywood - where instead of the bare-chested, muscle rippling macho hero, it was the very idiotic, extremely commonplace simpleton that walked away smiling at the end of the film.

The ridiculous yet affable character of Bharat Bhushan played by Vinay Pathak has been reprised in Bheja Fry's sequel - Bheja Fry 2. On the surface nothing really has changed; the title suggests it is just a basic extension of Bhushan's story and Vinay plays the colourful character of the tax inspector once again. But a lot of things around Bharat and as well as Vinay have changed. For instance, with producer Mukul Deora taking over the financial reins of the film, Bharat has moved from his pigeon coop of a room to a sprawling cruise ship. His romantic interests have blossomed and so has the film's budgets. The old characters have gone and have been replaced with formidable names from the industry like Kay Kay Menon and Amole Gupte.

Was making Bheja Fry 2 really that simple an exercise for the filmmakers, and an obvious offshoot of the original Bheja Fry? Vinay chooses his words carefully as he says, "It is really tricky to make sequels. I can say that shooting the sequel may be the easiest but the entire filmmaking process is very difficult. Sequels have their own nostalgia, however the nervousness of making it is still there."

The actor admits he has made a conscious effort to channelise fresh nuances of Bharat onto the screen, so that the audience gets to see the tax inspector in a newer light. Speaking about Vinay, director Sagar Ballary explains, "What Bharat did in Bheja Fry may not be the extent of what he can do. Vinay has used his own expertise to bring back the character of Bharat Bhushan on the screen in Bheja Fry 2." Vinay continues, "I feel fortunate and lucky that there are people around me with so much of world knowledge. It is an entirely collaborative effort, especially between the director and the writer."

While Vinay accepts that sequels today have become a rather commonplace practice after a film scores at the boxoffice, he also says the entire team of Bheja Fry 2 has made their best efforts not to reduce the film's brand into a franchise. He and Ballary together point out, "Bheja Fry is not a golden goose. It is people's choice that has made it so popular. However, all of us on the team wanted to make sure that Bheja Fry did not become just a franchise."

Vinay Pathak who has films like Chalo Delhi, Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi, Khosla Ka Ghosla and Dasvidaniya feels that Bheja Fry and its sequel were two of the most fortunate events to happen to him. He says, "I was dabbling with many different kinds of roles. I am not your conventionally good looking actor. With Bheja Fry 2, I feel lucky to be a part of this vision."

With Bheja Fry 2 running at theatres now, are all ingredients in place for whipping up Bheja Fry 3? Vinay and director Ballary both laugh out loud as they say, "We will have to wait and watch..."